Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

Updated 0143 GMT (0943 HKT) February 3, 2016

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Photos:Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

Vast crowds trying to head home for Lunar New Year celebrations were stranded at the Guangzhou Railway Station in southern China after snow and ice delayed at least 22 trains on Tuesday, February 2. More than 2.9 billion trips are expected to be made in China during the Lunar New Year holiday period, according to Chinese authorities.

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Photos:Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

Guangzhou Railway Corp said Tuesday that 38,000 passengers were stuck, but China's People's Daily said the crowd was much bigger -- as many as 100,000.

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Photos:Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau said it had deployed 1,300 extra officers to the railway station and issued an emergency alert.

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Photos:Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

Passengers queue up to enter Guangzhou railway station on February 2, with some "on the front line" seen breaking into a run.

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Photos:Lunar New Year travel rush strands thousands

China's annual Spring Festival migration -- when millions of Chinese workers head to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year -- started on January 24 this year and lasts for around 40 days.

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Vast crowds trying to head home for Lunar New Year celebrations in early February were stranded at Guangzhou Railway Station, in southern China, after snow delayed at least 22 trains.